Here’s where I dislike these stories, more than the isolated quote. What was so hard, Bill? Why weren’t you given the time of day? What was holding you back from doing your job at WVU? And, wait a moment, weren’t you just slicing bread in WVU’s 2013 recruiting class?

This couldn’t work on other areas.

We couldn’t block Syracuse.

Why’s that, Bill?

It was hard.

Thanks, Bill.

Same thing.

The quote actually doesn’t bother me. We know it’s not as easy to recruit to WVU as it is to Oklahoma. But, jeez, give me condiments on the sandwich. At least ask for them. Otherwise you’ve got a coach who looks like he left one job because, in part, it was hard and, in part, because he assumes it’s going to be easier at the next job.

There are logical points to pursue to make things more exploratory and explanatory than, I don’t know, celebratory. Think OU fans are pumped about a guy sold as s boss recruiter who admits, without elaboration, he had a hard time recruiting for unexplained reasons?

It’s a tired, blanket theme people throw over the Mountaineers when they walk away — and in many instances it’s true — and I don’t think it’s fair to anyone, from Bedenbaugh to Dana Holgorsen, from to Darrien Howard to Dionte Savage.

Bedenbaugh pursued incoming junior-college transfer guard Dionte Savage, but he never expressed much interest in West Virginia.

So the new coach’s weekend call to Savage was “a fun one,” Bedenbaugh said.

“I told him who it was, and he just started laughing … I called him about 50 times and he never answered my calls,” Bedenbaugh said before adding with a chuckle, “I’ve got something for him.”